Tubby Smith may place Gophers' point guard job in hands of freshman Andre Hollins

For only the second time in his 20-year college head coaching career, Tubby Smith might start a freshman at point guard to open a season.

"I know that I can do it; I know I can fill that position," University of Minnesota freshman Andre Hollins said at Gophers media day Thursday. "I'm trying to be a leader out here, even though I'm a freshman. Because age doesn't matter when you're out there on the court."

Al Nolen, who started 67 games at point guard over the past four seasons, is out of eligibility, leaving Hollins in an intense competition with fellow newcomer Julian Welch, a junior college transfer.

Smith said he has no reservations about starting Hollins, "if he's good enough and he wins the job."

The only time Smith started a freshman point guard going into a season was in 2006-07 at Kentucky, and that player was future Boston Celtics all-star Rajon Rondo.

That was Smith's last season at Kentucky. Since then, he has had trouble recruiting a quality point guard to Minnesota. Former Gophers coach Dan Monson recruited Nolen. Shooting guard Devoe Joseph, who was Nolen's heir apparent before transferring to Oregon last season, started two games at point guard as a freshman in 2008-09. Maverick Ahanmisi started five games last season as an unheralded freshman.

Hollins is the best point guard prospect Smith has recruited since Rondo.

And before the Gophers' first exhibition game Nov.

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1 against Bemidji State at Williams Arena, Smith said he likely would name Hollins or Welch the starter - filling a void the Gophers have had since last season, when they dropped 10 of their last 11 games while Nolen was out with a foot injury.

"The top guy will evolve, and we'll be able to get going with who we will start," Smith said. "I don't want to go into the season not knowing who our starting point guard is. And once we put the ball in his hands, it's going to be his job."

Welch, a California native, is a strong and crafty player with Division I experience. He played as a freshman at the University of California-Davis in 2009-10 before transferring to Yuba Community College for the 2010-11 season, where he averaged 19 points and five assists a game.

Hollins, who was Tennessee's Mr. Basketball last season, brings a combination of speed and athleticism to the point guard position unmatched in Smith's tenure at Minnesota, Smith's assistant coaches said.

Hollins has a slight advantage because he has been with the Gophers since June. Welch couldn't join the team until September after he finished a couple of courses in junior college. Both players have been battling each other while trying to establish themselves in team workouts over the past month.

"But I feel like it's not about competing against one person," Welch said. "It's about competing against myself and trying to get better. Sometimes guys will just figure they will have to go against one guy, but they don't focus on what they bring to the table."

Smith said Ahanmisi is in the mix because he played last season.

All three of Minnesota's point guards have been in contact with Nolen, trying to pick his brain about what they need to do to be an effective leader and point guard under Smith.

"We saw him shooting around (Wednesday) out here," Ahanmisi said. "We're just talking to him about how the season is going to be. He said he's going to watch the games, and after the games he'll give us pointers on what he sees. So it'll be nice to have."

Hollins said he welcomes any advice Nolen can provide.

"I'm going to take any help that I can absorb," he said. "I'm going to take it to heart because I know he knows what it takes."